You will find in the many comments written by readers plenty of praise which is largely deserved party. I have long been reluctant to get into reading Ken Follett. I guessed, behind the criticism that I have read, a talented author, but his novels in character "Espionage" have never tempted me, do not really affectionnant the genre. It is in discovering that the author was also tried to historical novels I've decided to take the plunge, and read to begin with, "The Pillars of the Earth". Although it took me! It is a remarkable work in many ways. Cathedral builders are a support, if not an excuse to introduce a historical fresco of the medieval and feudal England the XII th century. It is made with great detail and accuracy, which give the narrative a great realism and great legitimacy; we measure the considerable research and documentation to which the author comes before starting his talented novelistic exercise. The story centers around the construction of the cathedral of Kingsbridge, beside which will evolve a set of outsized characters, very engaging for some oh so despicable to others: an idealistic mason whose reasons for being are to feed his family through these times of scarcity and build the most beautiful cathedrals; a talented stonemason and intelligent love with the beautiful and inaccessible Aliena; good prior, generous and determined both in the exercise of his liver in the management of its priory; a beautiful and noble young fallen having lost his father, his field, his fortune and his wife honor; an ambitious bishop and Machiavellian power-hungry; Count a proud, greedy, bloodthirsty and perverse; and the powerful kingdom that tear each other to grab power and wealth regardless of the suffering people who die of hunger. Even if the world view painted by Ken Follett is sometimes a little too Manichean for my taste, we let absorb by history to live it from the inside and share the existence of the humble and great. At no time is bored; the incessant twists hold the reader spellbound from beginning to end: plots, tricks, intrigues, betrayals and cruelties succeed, having no opposition goodness, mercy, generosity and fear of God. A trip to Andalusia Moor, through France and Spain, will remind us how and where were circulated ideas, science and technology have influenced the Christian civilizations of the time. The style of the author, I discovered with this novel, is very pleasant: both simple without being simplistic, smooth and deep, communicating emotions forcefully - the translation quality is certainly no stranger to this rendering style. Even paunchy its 1000 pages, this is a book that is accessible to all and that I recommend to many. The story is divided into episodes closely interwoven that allow the reader to release tension and relax a little between the major events. Although construction of each episode is clocked identically, the reading pleasure remain intact from beginning to end. Maybe you feel you too, big void when you turn the last page of this magnificent novel. Players friends, enjoy this wonder!
